Educational device



July 11, 1944.

J. v. HORR EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR John Vffiorr. M'

TTORN S July 11, 1944. J. v. HORR 2,353,233

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed NOV. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 (mi v "'l w II q.lmmmllllllilllllll. w

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- sauqme '12 15 23 Z! (SONIA/B338 INVENTOR John I THorr l iTTORNifiSPatented July 11, 1944 UNIT no s'mras PATENT o FFl c E EDUCATIONALDEVICE John V Horr, North-Tarrytown, N. Y., assig'nor to Einson-Freeman001, Incl, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareApplication November 30, 1943, SerialNo. 512,293

6 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to edu cational devices, and hasparticular reference to a device for use in the teaching ofcodesignaling.

While certain phases of my invention are not necessarily restricted toany particular code or mode of signaling, the device is primarilyintended and is particularly useful for teaching the so-called andwell-known semaphore code. In this type of signaling, a pair of fiags'are wielded by the signaler, one inv each hand, the flags beingsuccessively brought into and momentarily maintained in variouspositions along a circular arc. These positions are customarily eight innumber.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device which may bemanufactured. at low cost and of inexpensive material such as cardboard,the device being light in weight, compact in nature, of ruggedconstruction, and easy to understand and manipulate.

The type of. device to which my invention rel'ate's consists essentiallyof a panel having apertures therein, and a relatively movable .diskmounted behind the panel and provided with indicia which register with.the apertures in predetermined fashion asthe disk is rotated .to depictin succession the various combinations or the code whose teaching thesignaling device is intended to aid. In the teaching. of the semaphorecode, the apertures are eight in number and are arranged in a circulararc, and the indicia on. the dis'k comprise representations of semaphorefi-ags.

provided with a projecting border inwhich notches are formed, each notchaffording a finger grip by means of which the disk may be rotated, andthe border portion of the disk bearing oertain information-a1 markingswhich facilitate the rapid rotation of the disk into various differentpositions.

A further feature of the invention lies in providing a rear panel inwhich there are apertures which register with those in the first-namedpanel, the disk bearing on its reverse face certain indicia whichcorrespond and register with the indicia on the obverse face thereof,whereby the various depictions of different signals may be caused toappear on both sides of the device simultaneously but from opposite Viewpoints.

I achieve the foregoing general objects, and such other" objects andadvantages as may hereinafter appear, in the manner illustrativelyexemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the device viewed from one side thereof;

Figure 2- is a similar view of the device from the opposite sidethereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan View of the blank from which the two panels areconstructed;

Figure 5 is a plan viewof one face of the. disk; and

Figure 6 is a similar view of the reverse face.

In constructing the present device, a blank is first cut and shaped asshown substantially in Figure 4, whereby two similar but opposite panelsland I l are provided, these panels: being secured together along theline of junction I2. The panel !0 is provided with the circular edgeportion 13, and. the panel I l is provided with the similar andcorresponding circular edge portion l4. Concentrically arranged. withrespect to the edge portion l3 are the apertures l 5, and in theparticular device herein illustrated, these apertures are eight innumber and are arranged in a circular series corresponding to the eightpositions of the semaphore code. The panel H is provided with a similarseries of apertures l6.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the panel I0 is also provided with anauxiliary set of apertures H which are arranged in somewhat radiatingfashion for a purpose presently to be described. The panel I! may beprovided with a corresponding set of auxiliary apertures l8.

At its midportion, the panel I0 is provided with a representation l9 ofa signaler, and in the illustrated embodiment I have shown, by way ofexample, how this representation may conform to the general contours andappearance of a man in Navy uniform. The panel I! is provided with asimilar representation 20, but the depictions l9 and 20 differ in thefact that one of them presents the appearance of the signaler from therear while the other presents the appearance of the same signaler from asignal-receiving position. Thus, I have illustratively shown therepresentation I9 as a signaler viewed from the rear and with. thisrepresentation there may be a printed designation sending as indicatedat 2|, while the representation 28 simulates the appearance of the samesignaler as viewed from the front, and

with this representation there may be a printed designation receiving asindicated at 22.

in Figure 5 will lie directly beneath the panel l0, so that the indicia30 will ultimately show through the apertures l5 and I1; and this willnecessarily result in having the indicia 3| ultimately show through theapertures I6 and I8 of the panel I I.

The use of the device is indicated most clearly in Figures 1 and 2. Itwill be observed that the notched border portion of the disk 21 projectsbeyond the circular edges I3 and I4, so that most of the markings 29 and32 are always visible. Each notch affords a finger grip whereby the diskmay which I have shown in the form of an oblique shoulder 25 on thepanel If], and a corresponding shoulder 26 on the panel ll, thesshoulders forming together a single shoulder or abutment when the deviceis assembled.

The disk 21 that is used with the panels is shown most clearly inFigures 5 and 6. It will be observed that the disk is substantiallycircular in shape and that it has a border portion provided with aseries of notches 28. In the wedge-shaped projections between thenotches 28 there are a series of markings 29 which I have shown in theform of letters of the alphabet. These letters are not arrangedalphabetically, however, but bear a definite relationship to certainindicia 3t arranged in substantially radial dispositions upon the faceof the disk 2?. Each of these indicia has an outer end portion which ispreferably colored and which simulates or represents a semaphore flag,and may have an inner narrower portion which simulates the arms of asign aler.

The particular arrangement of the indicia 36 forms no part of my presentinvention, since it is well-known per se, but I 'believe that theduplication of these indicia on the reverse face of the disk, asindicated in Figure 6, is a new departure in this art.

Assuming that the face of the disk 21 which is visible in Figure 5 isthe obverse face, it will be observed that the reverse face shown inFigure 6 is in every respect the same as that of Figure 5 except thatthe various markings and indicia are in reverse. That is to say, each ofthe indicia 3! shown in Figure 6 is in exact registry with thecorresponding indicia 3B of Figure 5. Accordingly, if the disk 2'! weremade of transparent material, a single set of indicia would suffice. ItIS preferable, however, that I opaque material such as cardboard, withits obverse and reverse faces printed and embellished as indicated inFigures 5 and 6.

Along the marginal portion of the disk 2'l, on its reverse face (Figure6), there are a series of markings which correspond with the markings 29on the obverse face.

Additionally, both .taces of the disk have a second set of markingswhich are ultimately intended to show through the apertures 23 and 2}respectively, this additional set of markings be ng designated by thereference numeral 33 n Figuie 5, and by the reference numeral (E4 inFigure In assembling the device, the disk 21 lSdIltdI- posed between thepanels Ill and H, and is pivotally or rotatably secured in position bymeans of an eyelet or the like, as shown at 35 in Figures 1 and 2, thisaxis of rotation being concentric Wluh respect to the disk 21 and withrespect to the circular edge portions i3 and M. This eyelet serves alsoto hold the two panels it and ii in superposed relationship and is thusthe only open ation necessary to be performed 111 assembling the device.During this assembly, the disk is arranged in such a way that theobverse face shown the disk 21 be made of be rotated. In using thedevice, the finger is inserted into a selected notch and the disk isthen rotated either in a clockwise direction if held as in Figure 1, orin a counterclockwise direction if held as in Figure 2. When the fingerencounters the shoulders 2526, the act of rotation is necessarilyhalted. At the instant when this encounter takes place, the indiciawhich register with and show through the apertures of the panels willcorrespond (in terms of the semaphore code) with the letter Or markingimmediately beneath the actuating finger, Stated otherwise, theinformational markings on the 'border portion of the disk correspond,respectively, with the indicia registered with the apertures of thepanels at the instant of encounter between the actuating finger and theabutment 252G. At the same time, the corresponding letter on the set ofmarkings 33 registers with the aperture 23, and the ame letter on theset of markings 34 registers with the aperture 24.

Accordingly, the device may be used to great advantage in teaching theprospective signaler not only how his arms should be positioned whensending any particular letter or series oi letters, but also how hisarms will look to someone at a signal-receiving station. In this way,the user of the device may drill himself, not only in sending, but alsoin receiving. In the first case, he would use the device as indicated inFigure 1, and in the second case, he would use the device as indicatedin Figure 2. Not only do the designations sending and receiving (asshown at 2| and 22 respectively) aid him in this regard, but thedifferent representations l9 and 2;) serve graphically to impress uponhis mind the differences between the relative arm positions during theacts of sending or receiving signals.

In general, it will be understood that the details herein described andillustrated may be modified by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An educational device for teaching code signaling comprising a panelhaving apertures and a circular edge portion, a circular disk mountedfor rotation beneath said panel and concentric with said edge portion,indicia on said disk arranged to register successively with saidapertures as said disk is rotated, said disk having a border projectingbeyond the periphery of the panel throughout at least half of thecircumference of the disk and provided with a series of notches each ofwhich afiords a finger grip by means of which said disk may be rotated,an abutment on the panel positioned to be encountered by the finger tolimit each act of rotation, and alphabet markings on said borderarranged to correspond, respectively, with the indicia registering withsaid apertures at the instant of said encounter, said disk having themajor portion of the alphabet exposed on the projecting border thereof.

2. An educational device as set forth in claim 1, said aperturescomprising a circular set of eight corresponding to the eight positionsof the semaphore code, said indicia comprising representations ofsemaphore flags and being circularly arranged and equally spaced wherebythe Various combinations of the semaphore code may be successivelydepicted by rotational movements of said disk.

3. An educational device for teaching code signaling comprising a panelhaving apertures and a circular edge portion, a circular disk mountedfor rotation beneath said panel, indicia on said disk arranged toregister successively with said apertures as said disk is rotated, saidapertures comprising a circular set corresponding to the positions ofthe semaphore code, said indicia comprising representations of semaphoreflags and being circularly arranged and equally spaced whereby thevarious combinations of the semaphore code may be successively depictedby rotational movements of said disk, a rear panel secured to thefirst-named panel and arranged behind said disk and provided withapertures which register with those in the first-named panel, indicia onthe reverse face of said disk registering with those on its obverseface, whereby said depictions appear on both sides of the devicesimultaneously but from opposite viewpoints, and indicia on each panelto indicate the obverse or reverse facing of the semaphore flags exposedat said panel.

4. An educational device as set forth in claim 3, said disk having aprojecting border concentric with the circular edge portion of the paneland provided with a series of notches each of which affords a fingergrip by means of which said disk may be rotated, an abutment on at leastone of said panels positioned to be encountered by the finger to limiteach act of rotation, and informa tional markings on said borderarranged to correspond, respectively, with the indicia registering withsaid apertures at the instant of said encounter.

5. An educational device as set forth in claim 3, said first-named panelbearing a representation of a signaler as viewed from the rear, theother panel bearing a corresponding representation of the same signaleras viewed from a signal-receiving position.

6. An educational device for teaching code signaling comprising frontand rear panels secured together along one edge thereof and havingcircular edge portions spaced apart, a circular disk rotatably mountedbetween the panels concentric with said circular edge portion, eachpanel having apertures therein opposite the apertures in the otherpanel, indicia on each opposite side of said disk arranged to registersuccessively with the apertures as said disk is rotated, the aperturesin each panel comprising a circular set of eight corresponding with theeight positions of the semaphore code, said indicia comprisingrepresentations of semaphore flags and being circularly arranged andequally spaced whereby the various combinations of the semaphore codemay be successively depicted by rotation of the disk and with the samecombination of semaphore flags exposed simultaneously at both oppositesides of the device, one of said panels bearing a representation of asignaler as viewed from the rear and the other panel bearing acorresponding representation of the same signaler as viewed fromsignal-receiving position, each representation of the signaler depictingthe legs thereof spaced apart with one of said apertures therebetween.

JOI-IEN V. HORR.

